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A. New Member of the Executive Bureau

At its meeting on February 3 the EEB Board discussed the EEB representation on the Board of MIO-ECSDE. It was agreed that it is important for the EEB to fulfill its role on the MIO-ECSDE Board and to continue the liaison between MIO-ECSDE and the EEB.

Mr. George Cingal, EEB Vice President, from SEPANSO, France, was suggested to take up the position for the duration of the term (2 years) and he accepted.

The MIO-ECSDE Secretariat is looking forward to having Mr. Cingal on the MIO-ECSDE Board and feels certain that he will continue the good relationship Mr. Jose Ribas Ribas (FoE Balearics) had re-established between the two Federations during his valuable term on the MIO-ECSDE Executive Bureau representing the EEB.

The MIO-ECSDE Secretariat would like to thank Mr. Jose Ribas Ribas for his overall faithful contribution to the work of MIO-ECSDE and the Mediterranean in general.

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B. Up-Date on MIO-ECSDE preparations for Green Week

GREEN WEEK: Conference and Exhibition Environment and Quality of Life - Our future, our choice! Brussels 24-28 April 2001 (organised by EC DG ENV)

Green Week is designed to publicise the Sixth Environment Action Programme: Environment 2001-2010, bringing the European Union environmental policies closer to the citizens. It serves to 'popularise' a number of EC environmental policy priorities where the involvement and participation of citizens are seen as being crucial to achieving results.

Green Week will contribute to gathering input to the further work on developing the new Environment Action Programme and to strengthening co-operation between the European Commission and all environmental stakeholders and interested parties.

What is the role of MIO-ECSDE in Green Week?

MIO-ECSDE, as the leading federation of Environment and Development NGOs in the Mediterranean region, a principal actor in integrated water resource management, active member of the GWP MEDTAC and a successful previous partner for Life Week (1999) was invited by DG ENV to be a partner in Green Week and organise the following:

1. A spontaneous event on "Water in the Mediterranean" with 22 children, which will be held during the opening ceremony (Tuesday 24 April) in honor of the Commissioner Mrs. Margot Walstrom.
2. A poster exhibition on
  a. "Water in the Mediterranean"
  b. "Bathing Water" which will be set up throughout the week.
These posters will be based on a re-production of the ones presented at the Water Conference of Mediterranean Stakeholders organised and held in Athens last November 
3. An exhibition of traditional water carrying vessels from all over the Mediterranean, the catalogue of which will also be published if adequate funds are secured
4. A seminar (Session 24 of Green Week, 27 April, 9.30-13.00) entitled "Water in the Mediterranean: Towards a joint action". MIO-ECSDE has established a panel of speakers representing NGOs, various DGs of the European Commission and other stakeholders in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, an extensive number of participants will be invited (the meeting room has a capacity for 100 participants and interpretation for 5 languages will be available EN, FR, DE, I, ES)

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C. World Water Day (WWD) 2001 coming up

To support celebrations of World Water Day (WWD) 22 March this year on Water and Health, you are invited to visit the World Water Day website on www.worldwaterday.org that IRC maintains on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO), the lead United Nations agency for the day. Information on this year's theme will be regularly posted on the site and by e-mail leading up to the day, and will continue throughout the year.

IRC also wants to know what you are planning on the day. Send the information to Dick de Jong mailto:jong@irc.nl. Your planned events and experiences with them will be put up on the web site under the Events section. You have also the opportunity to comment on the web site.

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D. Meetings attended by MIO-ECSDE

Transnational Sustainability Strategies, Brussels, 22 February 2001
During the meeting "A Sustainable Development Strategy for the EU" (17-18 November 2000, Stockholm, Sweden) the Chairman of MIO-ECSDE initiated a consultation process between Christine Jakobsson Secretary General Baltic 21/Swedish Ministry of Environment, the Secretariat of MCSD (Mr. Arab Hoballah, Mr. Lucien Chabason) and William Floyd of the EC Secretariat-General, Forward Studies Unit, in order to make recommendations for the integration of the Mediterranean and Baltic initiatives in the EU strategy.
Therefore, in the context of the Commission's work on preparing an EU-level sustainable development strategy, MIO-ECSDE was invited as an expert to participate in a closed meeting on the coexistence of national and regional SD strategies on Thursday, 22 February 2001. The Chairman of MIO-ECSDE, Prof. Michael Scoullos gave concrete recommendations.

Meeting of MEDTAC Members, 5-6 February 2001, Marseilles, France. The meeting was attended by staff member Evangelos Constantianos and the Chairman Prof. Michael Scoullos.

Launching Meeting on the GWP Comprehensive Work Programme and Follow up to the Framework for Action, 19-21 February 2001, Wallingford, UK. The meeting was attended by staff member Evangelos Constantianos and the Chairman Prof. Michael Scoullos.

Demonstration Against Nuclear Submarine
On Saturday January 20 2001 in Gibraltar (Spanish border) thousands of people and representatives of local authorities of the region participated in a big demonstration because a British nuclear submarine had broken down and it was necessary to be repaired. All environmental groups of Andalusia and Spain asked the English government that the submarine be repaired in a British harbour. MIO-ECSDE Executive Bureau member Pepe Abeledo of Itaca went to this important demonstration on behalf of MIO-ECSDE as well, as he had one year ago when he participated in a demonstration in favour of Donana National Park.

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E. Some up-coming meetings

• Global Conference on Creating Better Cities Together, 4-6 April 2001, Bremen, Germany. Information: Wolfgang Teubner, Director Central Services ICLEI European Secretariat GmbH Eschholzstrasse 86 D-79115 Freiburg, Phone: +49-761/368920, Fax: +49-761/36892-19, e-mail: wolfgang.teubner@iclei-europe.org, For further information please see: http://www.bremen-initiative.de/2001
• As a contribution to youth preparations for the 2002 World Summit, the Swedish Minister for the Environment, Mr. Kjell Larsson, announced a Youth Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development. The conference, which is an official part of the Swedish EU Presidency, will take place in Borgholm, Sweden, between the 23rd and 27th of May 2001. Secretariat for the Youth Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, Swedish Ministry of the Environment, Camilla Funke (camilla.funke@lsu.se), Helena Klingvall (helena.klingvall@lsu.se), Telephone: +46 8 4408670, Fax: +46 8 203530 http://www.eu2001.se/eu2001/calendar/, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme): theodore.oben@unep.org, Nature and Youth, Denmark: landskontoret@natur-og-ungdom.dk
• 3° Symposium International de l'Eau au Palais des Festivals de Cannes les 29, 30 et 31 mai 2001. Professeur Raoul Caruba Reseau Mediterraneen UNITWIN/Chaires UNESCO sur l'Eau (Nations Unies-UNESCO) IRIM, Universite de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose 06108 Nice Cedex 02, tel et fax national : 04 92 07 68 00 http://www.unice.fr/H2O , http://www.unice.fr/DU-EAU , http://www.unice.fr/IRIM , email : caruba@unice.fr
• The European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF), as a local entity, jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have decided to organise the "I Congress on Conservation Agriculture: A Worldwide Challenge", to be held in Madrid, Spain, October 1-5, 2001. For any questions please do not hesitate to write to conservation.agriculture@ecaf.org.
• Biotechnology and Sustainable Development: Voices of the South and the North, An International Conference, Egypt: 15-17 October, 2001. For further information, please contact: Biotechnology and Sustainable Development: Voices of the South and the North; Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Chair, Program Committee, c/o ICARDA Cairo office P.O. Box 2416, Cairo, Egypt, Tel.: (+20-2) 5724358/5725785/5735829, Fax: (+20-2) 5728099, E-Mail: ICARDA-CAIRO@CGIAR.ORG

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